A Visit to a Place of Historical Interest
or
My First Visit to Dhaka
Since my boyhood, I had been waiting for a chance to pay a visit to Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. At last, I got the opportunity. My elder brother was transferred to Dhaka from Chittagong last year. During the last summer vacation, I boarded the Dhaka bound train and reached Dhaka at about 10 a.m.
Dhaka is a very old and historical city. It was founded by Islam Khan during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir. It is now the biggest city in Bangladesh. Dhaka is divided into two parts – old town and new town. The new town is very beautiful. Many beautiful buildings have been built in this area recently. The Gana Bhaban, the Curzon Hall, the High Court, Dhaka Museum, Stadiums, Ashan Manzil, New Market, Shisu Park, Ramna Garder are all worth seeing. The old Fort and Lalbag, Barakatra, Chotokatra, the historic cannon Kale Zam Zam and the Shahi Mosque speak of the old glory of Dhaka. I was much delighted to see the tomb of Pari Bibi, daughter of Shaista Khan. My brother showed me the ancient mosque of Begum Bazar, built by Shaista Khan.
The University of Dhaka is the pride of Bangladesh. There are several colleges and many good high schools in Dhaka. There is the Board of Secondary Education. Engineering University, Law Colleges, Medical Colleges in Dhaka. I visited all these famous buildings with my brother. One day my brother took me to the Ramna Green. It is a very beautiful place where hundreds of people, young and old, assemble in the morning and evening. He took me to the zoo.
At last, my vacation came to a chose. So with a heavy heart, I took leave of my brother and returned home.
Same composition collected from another book
Visiting a place of historical importance is significant. Such a place bears the relics of our ancient heritage and cultural identity. I visited such a place a few months back. It was the Buddist Vihara at Paharpur to Naogaon.
The Buddhist Vihara at Paharpur is situated to 200 kilometres north-west of Dhaka. It is now under Naogaon district. It was founded in the 7th century by Dharma Pala. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 1985.
It is also known as the Somapur Mahavihara, the Great Monastery. It is the largest single Buddhist monastery in the Indian Subcontinent. There are 198 rooms (kuthuri) in each of which there is a pulpit for offering worship. Inside the stone wall of the rooms, there are 63 statues of Hindu and Buddhist deities. It is a square building including 177 residential rooms around. It was a renowned intellectual centre from 7th century up to the 17th century.
The Somapur Mahavihara bears the testimony to our ancient religious and cultural heritage. It is a rare document of our ancient architecture. The monastery city represents a unique artistic achievement. I was surprised to see the artistry and devices of the ruined buildings. I visited the whole area with a sense of awe and wonder.
Visiting the place opened my mental horizon. I had a new outlook, an insight into our ancient heritage. A relic of our ancient civilization, the Buddhist monastery is really a worth visiting place.
I want it big, but its east...i like that
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